Environment chiefs say residue feared to be sewage on Tayport beach is actually seaweed.
A member of the public reported what they thought was toilet paper and faeces on the beach near the town’s promenade on Thursday night.
A layer of foam and sanitary items were also reported from the scene.
The issue was raised with environment watchdog Sepa and Scottish Water, amid concerns sewage pumped into the Tay earlier this week – due to a burst main in Dundee – had reached the northern Fife shoreline.
One local who spotted the material at Tayport called it a “large drift of sewage” with “toilet paper and faeces on Tayport beach at high tide”.
Seaweed turned white as it dried out
But a spokesperson for Scottish Water said on Friday: “After being made aware of concerns, a team attended to check the shoreline in Tayport and to ensure the local sewer network was operating normally.
“The material on the beach that had caused concern was found to be seaweed, which had turned white as it dried out and started to break down.
“No problems were identified with the local sewer network, and our modelling of flows of water in the Tay shows no link with the issue that affected the sewer network in Dundee earlier in the week.
“Our teams all over the country work hard to respond to reports of potential pollution from our sewer networks and to take prompt action where required.”
A spokesperson for Sepa said: “We were notified by a member of the public of possible sewage related-debris at Tayport beach on Friday.
“Sepa has been liaising with Scottish Water and it has since been confirmed that the material is seaweed, and no pollution was found.”
A warning to avoid swimming in the Tay at Broughty Ferry and Monifieth beaches was lifted on Thursday.
Scottish Water finally left Riverside Drive on Friday after a week at the scene.
Conversation